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Reading Scripture Spiritually: Bonaventure, the Quadriga, and Spiritual Formation Today G/D

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Reading Scripture Spiritually: Bonaventure, the Quadriga, and Spiritual Formation Today G/D Spiritual Formation & Soul Care Copyright 2017 by Institute for Spiritual Formation ؛Journal 0 2017, Vol. 10, No. 1,12-32 Biola University, 1939-7909 Reading Scripture Spiritually: Bonaventure, the Quadriga, and Spiritual Formation Today G/d Ryan a. Brandt (AZ יGrand Canyon University (Phoenix Abstract. Modern Christians often polarize the otherwise inseparable realities of aca- demie reading and personal reading of Scripture. While generally not declared out- right, many Christians consider the two methods discontinuous. This article deems this bifurcation unnecessary and dangerous to the spiritual formation of individu- als and the spiritual health of the church. It examines Bonaventure’s insightful use of the quadriga in order to contribute to todays discussion of spiritual reading of Scripture. The article shall argue that lat least a variation of) Bonaventure’s quad- rigal method ought to be retrieved today for the spiritual health of scholarship and the church. This thesis will be attained organically. It will first survey his proposed method of interpretation in his Breviloquium and Commentary on the Gospel of Luke; then, it will appeal to scriptural and pastoral support to show that his method is a helpful route for retrieval. Modern Christians often polarize the otherwise inseparable realities of academic reading and personal reading of Scripture. While generally not declared outright, many Christians consider the two methods discontinu- ous. This article deems this bifurcation unnecessary and dangerous to the spiritual formation of individuals and the spiritual health of the church. It examines Bonaventure’s insightful use of the quadriga in order to contrib- ute to today’s discussion of spiritual reading of Scripture. Known as the Seraphic Doctor and the Prince of Mystics, Bonaventure was the foremost Franciscan theologian of the thirteenth century, while he is still highly regarded today, it is generally for his work in metaphysics and epistemology.! His reading of Scripture has been comparatively neglected. 1 For a general history of studies of Bonaventure, see Colman j. Majchrzak, “A Brief History of Bonaventurianism” (Ph.D. diss.. The Catholic University of America, Ilia Delio, for example, tends to disregard Bonaventure’s use of ,־esp. 81-88 ,(1957 the commentaries and claims that Bonaventure’s “essence” is “contained in a simple 12 وا Β٢Μ\άν. Bonaventure, The Quadriga, a^d spiritual Formation Today that is, until the recent translation of his biblical works into English. This article, in order to retrieve a renewed and fresh perspective on spiritual reading of Scripture, shall focus its attention on Bonaventure’s method of interpretation of Scripture. It Lises Bonaventure because his method of spiri- tual reading is one of the most theologically coherent and philosophically comprehensive approaches to the subject to date. The distinguished histo- rian, Henri de Lubac, once said on behalf of Bonaventure: in his "harmoni- ous density, [hej exhibits an overall synthetic power that was perhaps never equaled.”¿ The article shall argue that (at least a variation of) Bonaventure’s quadrigal method ought to be retrieved today for the spiritual health of scholarship and the church. This thesis will be attained organically. It will first survey his proposed method of interpretation in his Breviloquium and Commentary on the Gospel of Luke') then, it will appeal to scriptural and pastoral support to show that his method is a helpful route for retrieval. formula that Bonaventure himself professed," namely, emanation, exemplarity, and ,kt Simply Bonaventure: An Introduction to his Eife, Thought ﺣﻌﺎ؟أ Cdüém and Writings [New York: New City, 2001], 12). While it is true that Bonaventure’s basic metaphysic is contained here, as he himself acknowledges, it is not true that these three words introduce the entirety of his thought, which includes all kinds of subjects, categories, and genres besides the philosophical metaphysics. As Zach- ary Hayes better summarizes, “In the wide diversity of his writings, ranging from the more Scholastic Sentence Commentary to the ascetical writings and sermons, the priority of Scripture is everywhere in evidence” (Zachary Hayes, what Man- ,Sermons on Christ by St. Bonaventure [Chicago: Franciscan Herald ־.?.»ner of Mo 1974],6). For other scholars who tend to over-emphasize the philosopher in Bonaventure, see Vincent Mayer, “The Doctrine of St. Bonaventure: Concerning Our Knowledge .lohn p ؛of God {De Cognoscibilitate Dei),” Franciscan Studies 2 (1924): 39-54 \kt\q, Paul Tillich aud Bonaventure: An Evaluation of Tillich’s Claim to Stand Matthew M. de ؛(in the Augustinian-Franciscan Tradition (Leiden: E. T Brill, 1975 Benedictis, “The Social Thought of Saint Bonaventure: A Study in Social Philosophy" diss.. Catholic University of America, 1946), who devotes only one page to his Ph.D٠) Efrem Bettoni, Saint Bonaventure, trans. Angelus Gambatese ؛(Lise of Scripture (2-3 (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1964); Robert w. Shahan and Francis I. Kovach, eds., Bonaventure and Aquinas: Enduring Philosophers (Norman, Douglas c. Langston, Conscience and ؛(OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1976 Other Virtues: From Bonaventure to MacIntyre (University Park, PA: The Pennsyl- Emma Thérèse Healy, “Saint Bonaventure’s ؛vania University Press, 200:1), 21-37 De Reductione Artium Ad Theologiam: A Commentary with an Introduction and ,and Etienne Gilson ؛(diss.. Saint Bonaventure College, 1939 Translation” (Ph.D٠ The Philosophy of St. Bonaventure, trans. Dorn Illtyd Trethowan (Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild, 1965). 2 Henri de Lubac directed these words toward Bonaventure’s Breviloquium. However, since this work is indicative of Bonaventure, they might as well be applied to the writer himself. See Henri de Lubac, Medieval Exegesis: The Four Senses of ,(־Scripture, trans. E. M. Macierowski (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009 ,2000 ,1998 .Paris: Aubier, 1961), 425) ־cf. idem. Exégèse médiévale, part 2, 1 ؛111:317 14 Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care A Description of the Quadriga The article begins by briefly defining the meaning and nature of the quadriga with particular attention to Bonaventure’s understanding in his Breviloquium. Bonaventure suggests that the quadrigal dimension (the “fourfold sense”) is, in fact, merely one aspect of his larger understanding but this contribution will focus only on his و,of the polyvalence of Scripture quadrigal method for the sake of space. Bonaventure classically asserts that Scripture contains literal, alle- gorical, tropological, and anagogical meanings at various places. He un- apologetically states that these four meanings exist and are necessary for interpretation, since they are appropriate to Scripture’s polyvalent subject matters, multiple writers, and holistic-salvific purpose.4 In other words, be- cause of the divine nature of the Bible and the fact that it is God’s word to humans for the purposes of spiritual knowledge and growth as well as volitional transformation. Scripture must have spiritual senses (the triplex * 4 -He calls the polyvalence of Scripture the "fourfold pattern” of interpreta ل tion: “In this way it describes the breadth and length and height and depth of the entire universe, insofar as it is expedient to have knowledge of it for salvation” (Bo- naventure, Breviloquium, trans. and ed. Dominic V. Monti, Works of St. Bonaven- ture, vol. 9 [Saint Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute Publications, 2005], pro- logue 0.3). First, the breadth of Scripture refers to the division of two testaments and the partition of each testament into four categories—legal, historical, sapiential, cf. Augustine, Contra ;־and prophetic (Bonaventure, Breviloquium, prologue: 1.23 Adimantum, 17.2). Second, the length of Scripture refers to its chronological span, including seven ages from the time of Adam until the general resurrection (Bonaven- ture, Breviloquium, prologue: 2.1-3). Third, the height of Scripture refers to its ec- clesiastical, angelic, and divine hierarchies. These hierarchies, incidentally, are each fulfilled through the “one Hierarch, Jesus Christ,” who is head of the church, head of the angels, and the middle person of the Trinity (Bonaventure, Breviloquium, pro- logue: 3.2). The depth of scripture, fourth, refers to the quadrigal method, which is the subject of this paper. See also Bonaventure, Breviloquium, prologue: 5.1-4. For an excellent scholarly discussion, see Thomas Reist, Saint Bonaventure as a Bibli- cal Commentator: A Translation and Analysis of bis Commentary on Unke xvm, 34-ΧΙΧ, 42 (New York: University Press of America, 1985), 34-42; and George H. -Transiency and Permanence: The Nature of Theology According to St Bo ١ ًﻫﺎة\ةا٦ and j. Guy ;־naventure (St. Bonaventure, NY: The Franciscan Institute, 41-55 ,(1954 Bougerol, Introduction to the Works of Bonaventure, trans. Jose de Vinck (Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild, 1964), 90-93. 4 To be precise, he suggests that the subject matter is multivalent, including, for example, God, Christ, works of redemption, and content of belief (Bonaven- ture, Breviloquium, prologue: 4.2). The source is from God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, and to various pens of human authors at different times (ibid., prologue 4.4). The purpose of Scripture is to guide US in what we must know, do, and desire. Scripture thus engages the whole person, becomes the storyline of the person, and moves the person towards union with Christ (ibid., prologue 0.1-5; cf. Reist, Saint Bonaventure as a Biblical
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